South African defence company Denel has announced the commissioning of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) new Project Guardian Ground Based Air Defence System.

Project Guardian has been acquired through Denel Integrated Systems Solutions (DISS), a division of the larger South African Denel concern, which was tasked with supporting SANDF efforts to acquire new ground-based air defences.

The Project Guardian architecture includes two Thales PAGE radars, and eight multiple missile launchers to accommodate Thales Starstreak Very Short Range Air Defence missiles. The Thales radar provides short-range air surveillance at up to 20km (11nm), while the Starstreak missile can engage targets at a range of up to 7km (4nm).

The SANDF’s air defences are essentially configured for tactical and battlefield protection. They are thought to currently include around 54 Thales Crotale short-range air defence systems, plus 35 35mm (1.3in) and 36 23mm (0.9in) anti-aircraft artillery pieces.